1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to a container mountable on the side of a work table or counter top to provide a catch basin for debris. More particularly, the present invention relates to catch container devices that include a sloped face that descends into the container, wherein the entire catch container device is mountable to the face of a drawer below a work surface such that debris on the work table can be readily wiped off the edge of the work surface and into the container without spillage.
2. Background of the Invention
When food is prepared on a work surface such as a table or kitchen counter top, there inevitably remains debris in the form of small bits of food, packaging, inedible portions of the food, etc., that remains on the work surface after the food is prepared. The debris is often wet and comprised of numerous small pieces that tend to stick to the work surface. Consequently, the debris is not effectively picked up by hand. Rather, the food debris is commonly wiped off the work surface with a rag, sponge or the like.
Typically, in a kitchen, food is prepared on the work surface of the kitchen counter top. When the food preparation is finished, the waste and other debris is often wiped into the sink (if a garbage disposal is available) or wiped off the edge of the counter top into the hand of the person cleaning or directly into a trash receptacle. As will be recognized by people who clean work surfaces in such a manner, there exist certain disadvantages that complicate this typical cleaning procedure.
The waste and debris associated with food preparation is often wet. Additionally, it may also include fluids such as gravy, blood, sauce, etc. that give the debris a significant fluid volume. When such debris is wiped off a counter top and into a trash receptacle, the fluid tends to cohere to the side surfaces of the counter top, resulting in the fluid dripping off the counter top onto the floor in areas not corresponding to the position of the trash receptacle. Similar unsatisfactory results are obtained when the wet debris is wiped into a cupped hand. A person's hand can only contain a limited volume of fluid and often leaks. As such, the traditional use of just a cupped hand also results in the debris dripping down the face of the kitchen cabinet or dripping directly onto the floor. Yet another disadvantage of using a cupped hand to remove debris wiped from a counter top, is that the debris may be offensive to the individual cleaning the work surface. For example, the debris may contain blood, entrails, animal fat or grease which requires the person cleaning the debris to thoroughly wash his or her hands after contacting the debris.
As will be later thoroughly described the present invention is a shaped catch container that mounts to the face of a cabinet drawer below the edge of a kitchen counter top. The prior art is replete with container devices designed to be mounted at various locations and in the prior art there exist container patents that can be adapted to be mounted to vertical planar surfaces such as cabinet drawers. These prior art patents are exemplified by the following.
U.S. Pat. No. 1,072,022 to Miller, entitled GARBAGE CAN, and issued Sep. 2, 1913 shows a container supportable against a vertical planar surface by two J-shaped brackets. Additionally, the bottom surface of the receptacle is sloped, directing any contained debris to a hinged door. The Miller patent is not adjustable in its mountings and does not contain a receptacle structure capable of retaining fluid.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,904,041 to Medgebow, entitled COMMERCIAL KITCHEN RACK STRUCTURE and issued Sep. 9, 1975 shows a container structure mountable to the edge rail of a kitchen table via two J-shaped brackets. The container includes multiple flange receptacles for holding kitchen accessories and is not formed to effectively retain debris.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,974,803 to Richer et al, entitled RECEPTACLE HOLDER and issued Dec. 4, 1990 shows a device for supporting various other containers off the edge of a veranda. The Richer patent includes a continuous J-shaped bracket but does not disclose a bracket adjustment means or other features that would suggest its use with a kitchen counter top.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,586,276 to O'Mahoney entitled SUPPORT STRUCTURE AND BASKET, and issued Jun. 22, 1971 shows a container mountable onto a tabular frame. The O'Mahoney patent shows a J-shaped bracket supporting a container but does not disclose the features needed to hold fluid and debris wiped from a kitchen counter top without spillage.
Kitchens vary from residence to residence and very few kitchens are identical. As such it is a primary objective of the present invention to provide a container that can be selectively mounted below the edge of a kitchen counter in most every type and style of kitchen, and to provide a means associated with the present invention container to prevent fluids from cohering to the sides of the kitchen counter top and dripping down the face of the kitchen counter when waste and debris are wiped off the counter top into the container.